Is US Immigration Policy Restrictive Enough?

July 8, 1992

In their Opinion page article "Ukraine Is Losing Its Battle for Independence," May 31, the authors have given a pessimistic prognosis for Ukraine's independence. They cite an unidentified US official who says of Ukraine that the US will not "throw money down a rat hole," and that until Ukraine makes the tough choice Russia has made, "they are a rat hole." The authors claim that Ukraine's progress toward privatization and the adoption of free-market principles lags behind that of Russia. Given the availab le facts, I would not consider the situation in Russia to be as bright as the authors believe.

It will be difficult to ensure that the situation in the Ukraine is perfect. However, it should be noted that Ukraine's President Leonid Kravchuk has never asked for a huge amount of money from the West. Instead, he has asked for credits to create new technologies to transfer to a market economy as soon as possible. Marta Sydir, Parma, Ohio